The Governess
by Lucreace
Summary: A broke Hermione Granger receives a job offer she is unable to refuse, however when she learns who she will be working for, will she be able to do so without comment on what she learns?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was broke. There was no other word for it. Being the brightest witch of her age did not mean that she was the richest witch of her age. Finding work had been harder after the war. It turned out that not everyone wanted to hire someone who made them look bad. She had no idea why. Every interview she had, she was turned away with a polite 'thanks but no thanks'. It was more than a little frustrating yet here she was, tweaking her CV yet again to try and get another round of out before the end of the day.

If she didn't find work soon, she was going to have to find somewhere else to live. The bills were racking up too and there was no way she could remain in this situation for much longer. She had even reached out to Harry, one of the Aurors but there was nothing he could do to find her a position within the Ministry. She was stuck!

Head in her hands, she allowed herself a moment of complete despair. Resisting the urge to cry, she took several deep breaths and tried her best to push the growing bleakness of her situation to the side. She was always so good at staying positive in the face of desperate situations; she could sure use some of that now. Letting out a deep sigh, she rose up and headed to make a cup of tea, hoping it would soothe her worries, if only for a little while.

When she returned to the living room of her grungy little flat, there was a new letter waiting for her. Picking it up, she recognised the handwriting though she couldn't place where from. She sank onto the worn couch and turned the parchment envelope over in her hands. A neat hand had penned her name on the front with her address.

Turning it over, she popped the seal on the back and read a short note.

'Dear Hermione,

It had come to my attention that you are down on your luck and struggling to find work. A sorry state of affair in my humble opinion. I also have a mutual acquaintance who is in need of someone to look after his family. I put two and two together and have attached the address below. I've also sent a similar letter to the acquaintance informing him of your imminent arrival.

Yours

Albus Dumbledore.'

So that was where she had seen the writing before. She took a sip of the tea and thought about what the letter said. She had never considered teaching or looking after children before and wondered whether she would be able to turn her hand to it. She also wondered about who the mutual acquaintance was. It would have to be someone from school but that could be anyone. Ginny and Harry didn't yet have children, Ron was off around the world while Lavender looked after the kids at home so it couldn't be them either.

Her curiosity was certainly piqued and so she decided there and then that she would check it out. She could always turn it down if it wasn't to her liking… yeah right, and then she would be out on the streets for sure.

The address and time were printed on the back; the meeting was set for the morning at eleven. Pressing her lips together, she noticed that she needed to take her belongings with her as the position was that of a live-in governess.

By the time the next day came around, Hermione had convinced herself that this was the only way forward and without this job, she would be out of her flat. She had no option but to go and tackle the new challenge with all the courage she could find within her. How difficult could it be looking after children?

Apparating to the address was no problem at all; there was a point just by the house. She had to double check as the place she had arrived at was huge. It was not quite a stately home but it came damned close. It looked like a miniature castle with a crenelated roof and narrow windows. There was a low wall surrounding the front of the grounds, which trailed off around the back. She couldn't see where the large estate ended.

Pressing her lips together, she opened the wrought iron gate and headed up the gravel path to the front door. When she tapped on the door, the sound of barking could be heard from inside. The door was opened by a small house elf and she blinked, looking down at the creature. "Hello," she said, "I'm here about the position as a governess."

"Right miss, Follow me," the little thing said.

Hermione was led into a plush looking sitting room and made to sit on one of the chairs. The elf, whose name was Poppy, promised to return in a little while with the mistress and master of the household. She still had no idea who it might be and so turned her attention to what was in the room.

There was precious little to help her or give anything away, a thick red carpet cushioned her feet and the couch she was on could only be described as plush. Light cream walls were covered in pictures, most of them showing different children at different stages of their lives. All but one of them had light blonde curly hair. The youngest had straight black hair and a severe face, though they were smiling at the person taking the picture. A single light hung from the ornate ceiling and Hermione was impressed with the idea of wealth as she sat in the room. Whoever lived here had a lot of money and was not afraid to show it. A horrible thought that it might be Lockhart struck her and her stomach sank. If it turned out to be him, she would up and leave!

Hearing footsteps outside the room, she straightened in her chair and leaned forward a little, eager to find out who it was she would be working for. The door opened and her eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat and she knew her eyes had widened. "You!" she said blinking, unable to say anything else for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

**I won't be able to keep publishing a chapter a day on this but I do hope to keep the updates fairly frequent. i hope you enjoy this new little story of mine. Thanks. Lu**

Hermione had not been expecting what she saw. There, dressed in black, not too dissimilar to the robes he had worn back in school, was her former potions professor. He looked almost as aghast as she did, "Yes, me," he said, recovering first. She blinked and forced herself to calm down. It wasn't Lockhart and besides, this might not be so bad. At least she knew Snape was an intelligent man who was more than able to hold a conversation. She was about to say something else when a tall blonde woman stepped around the door and into the room.

Hermione recognised the children as hers instantly; the blonde curls gave her away. "I don't think that is any way to greet your future employer," she said. Hermione sat up at that but did not make an apology. The woman's hair was pulled back in a tight tail, giving her eyes a slightly hawkish look. Her pale blue eyes held no warmth to them and her make-up was severe. She was tall, slender to the point of being angular and clearly held most of the human race in disdain. If her hair was not as tight and her face less made-up, she might well have been pretty.

"Miss Granger," Snape said walking into the room himself, "Meet Cynthia, my wife," he said. Hermione nodded.

"Pleasure to meet you," she said offering her hand in friendship. Cynthia paused for a moment before taking it. She shook it with the barest of touches, almost as if Hermione had withered fingers or a disease.

"I'm sure it is," she replied.

The two residents of the house settled on the couch opposite her, Hermione waited for the interview to begin. Her palms were damp; she resisted the temptation to wipe them on her trousers, deciding that ignoring it would be far better.

"Now Miss Granger," Mrs Snape began, her tone was as curt as it had been earlier on, "There are six children in this household, all of which are in need of guidance. My eldest is nearly fifteen while the youngest is three. I understand you were one of the key players in the recent war?"

"That's right I-"

"Such experience will not help you in this role. You're here to look after our children, nothing more nothing less, do you understand?" she said, cutting her off. "The children are willful and will need a close eye keeping on them. Do you think you are up to the task?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, resorting to one word answers. It seemed to please the other woman as she continued to speak as though she had never answered.

"You will have a room assigned to you as you will be living here. You'll see to the education of the children who are not at Hogwarts and will ensure they are safe at all times," Mrs Snape explained. Hermione nodded as she spoke, "Do you have any questions?" she asked.

"Yes, First Aid?" she asked.

"We have medical kits in the house; I assume you know how to use them?" Hermione nodded again. "Any other questions?"

"No," she replied.

"Good, bring your things and follow me," she said. It occurred to Hermione that Snape had not said one word through the interview, he had looked at her with his black eyes however. He wasn't exactly warm with them but it was better than the clipped manner in which she had just been spoken to. It didn't seem as though she was going to get the option of declining either; not that she could really afford to. It was this or going back to the pokey little flat and struggling to make ends meet.

She was led up a set of stairs at the back of the house, rather than the main one and shown a small room which would have been pokey if not for the large window on the wall opposite the door. There was a single bed, an empty bookshelf and a small desk for writing. A wardrobe adorned one wall and there was just enough space to turn around in. Hermione was small however and it was more homely that home. It would do her well.

"The children's rooms are just down the hall, that way if they wake up in the night you will be able to see to them," Mrs Snape said.

There was just one more thing Hermione had to ask, "I am an avid reader," she could practically hear Snape roll his eyes at that, "Would it be alright to borrow some books?" she asked.

"You'll not have much time for that nonsense, but if it makes you feel better then yes," Mrs Snape replied. "You can have half an hour in which to settle in, then come back down to the lounge where I will introduce you to our children," she said. With that, she turned and left the room, Snape followed behind her. Hermione sank onto the bed and ran a hand through her curly hair.

Not one to sit idly, she opened her bag and pulled out a few things that she had brought with her. She placed her clothes away, set a few ornaments right on the shelf and made the tiny room as much her own as she could. She then thought about the personality of Mrs Snape and what she made of her. It was clear that she was a woman who was used to being obeyed. Hermione did not appreciate being spoken to like one of the serving staff but then again, she supposed that she was one of them. She was here to help with the children, not as a friend.

She just hoped that she was able to warm to her over the next few weeks. When she was ready and about half an hour had passed, she got up again and headed back down the stairs and into the sitting room she had been in before. She folded her hands in her lap and waited for the Snapes to arrive with all their children. When Snape had found the time to marry and have that many kids was beyond her, she had no idea but the man had ever been a mystery.


	3. Chapter 3

One by one, the children filed into the room; all of them were there and they formed a line in front of their parents. It was clear from the moment they walked in that they had been briefed on how to introduce themselves. The eldest girl stepped forward, looked down her nose at Hermione and said, "My name is Sophie, I am fifteen years old," she said. She then took a step back, her curls bobbing as she moved

The next girl in the line stepped forward and announced, "My name is Flora, I am thirteen years old," she too stepped backwards.

The first boy stepped forward, "My name is Dominic, I am eleven."

"My name is Charissa, I am nine."

"My name is Davon, I am seven."

The last child in the line made a little shuffle forward, her black hair a complete contrast to those of her siblings; there was no doubt in her mind who had fathered the little girl and she smiled as she stepped forward, "My name is Inna, I am three," she said. She stepped back as she had clearly been instructed and her gaze returned to the floor. Hermione could only guess what would make such a small child stare at the floor and it had nothing to do with shyness.

"This lady is Miss Granger, she is going to be your Governess for the future," Mrs Snape said.

"You are to treat her with respect," Snape added. It was the first time her former professor had spoken since she had recognised him and she was glad it was in favour of her. She took a moment to look at him then. His hair brushed his shoulder as it always had and his nose was as large as it ever was but his eyes had lost a lot of their hardness, the lines on his face had softened and she realised that underneath all the memories, there was a rather handsome fellow there. She brushed the thought to the side, aware that he was already married to the woman before her and that thinking such was not appropriate.

The children all nodded but remained silent, clearly used to following orders issued by their parents. A sudden thought about what happened to the former governess struck her but she knew now was not the right time to ask such questions. Indeed, she felt as though the time for those sorts of questions were long gone.

"Hello everyone," she said when it became clear that they were waiting for her to say something. Mrs Snape stood up then and nodded.

"I will leave you to get to know the children," she said. Snape rose with her and Hermione found herself alone with the six children.

Silence filled the room. Six pairs of eyes fixed her where she was and she knew the smile on her face was only half formed. Blinking, she knew she had to say something, anything. She wiped her hands on her knees and nodded, "I don't know anything about you," she said.

"You know our names, what more do you need?" Sophie said.

"If I am to help you grow then a whole lot more than that." Sophie folded her arms over her chest and heaved out a sigh.

"I like building things," Davon said.

Hermione looked at the kids who were still stood up and smiled, "Why don't you all sit down and we can talk properly?" she suggested. There were a couple of exchanged glances before they did as they were told. Were the kids not supposed to sit on the sofas? If she was doing it wrong then so be it, they were children not china dolls made for show. It certainly seemed as if fun was something that was banned in the house; something that she was also going to change. Mrs Snape might be a starch-arsed woman but Hermione wasn't. If it got her fired then tough!

"So, Davon's a builder, what about the rest of you?" she asked.

"I like to paint but we're never allowed to," said Charissa. "Mother says it is a waste of time but I don't think so!"

Flora wrung her hands in her lap and looked at the clock, "I like maths," she said, "The courses at Hogwarts are pretty rudimentary but I want to look into arithmancy when I get a bit older," she explained, "There is a beauty in numbers that cannot be found anywhere else."

"I play the violin," Dominic said, "It's calming and Mr Snape really likes it too," he added.

"Is he not your father?" Hermione asked. Dominic and the others except for little Inna shook their heads.

"He married mother about four years ago," Sophie said. By the sound of it, she was not all that impressed by the event either. "You now know something about us, what about you?" she asked.

"That's fair. I love to read. I love all kinds of books and learning but my favourite would have to be Wuthering Heights," she explained. "It's a passionate story about people," she said, keeping it simple for the younger ones.

"I like books too," said Inna, her voice smaller than the others had been.

"Then we can be friends." Hermione nodded. She was about to open her mouth and say something else when there was a bell go off through the house. As one, the children stood up. "What is that?" she asked.

"That is the bell for dinner," Sophie said. Hermione was a little taken aback by that, surely it would be better to actually call for the children rather than ring a bell. They were not dogs after all, here to respond at the sound of a chime! She followed the children into the dining room and made sure they were all sat properly.

The room was a dark affair, badly in need of some light. Though it was not down to her, Hermione would have had the room redecorated to a pale cream rather than the dark red it currently was. Snape gestured for her to sit at the table beside Inna – likely to help her with cutting the food and dinner was served.


	4. Chapter 4

Dinner was a silent affair the likes of which she had not seen or heard of before. It seemed to be the product of a bygone era, where children were not allowed to speak unless spoken to. Not once were they looked at, let alone spoken to. There was no conversation. The only sound that punctuated the sound of them eating their meal was the ticking of the carriage clock on the mantelpiece. No one looked up from their plates either. It forced Hermione to wonder what had gone so horribly wrong that this was the state of affairs in the house. Where was the laughter and fun? Had they banished it completely?

Although she was not a fan of the arrangement, she did not say anything. The glare from Mrs Snape kept her mouth shut, even as she tried to encourage Inna to eat the liver gravy they were all having. The taste was overpowering and although the girl was happy to eat the potatoes, it was clear she did not like the liver itself. Her mother was having none of it, "No one leaves the table until all the plates are clear."

There were a couple of muffled sighs about that. Hermione was not going to be dissuaded and eventually, she coaxed poor Inna into eating the rest of the liver. The look on her face was clear what she thought of the food.

There was no dessert.

The children were ordered from the table, told to get themselves ready for bed. It seemed as though there was no evening time for playing either. Hermione thought that it was no wonder they were so dour. She followed the children upstairs once more and helped assist the younger ones with getting ready. Inna was in bed first. She did not expect a story; she simply slid into the bed without a word and settled on her pillow.

Hermione left her where she was and went to see to the next two. Davon was in his room reading a book while already dressed for bed, Charissa was in the middle of getting changed. She did not require any help, despite her offering it and so Hermione left her to it.

The older three children were sat in a room by themselves. Dominic was practicing his violin, Flora looked as though she was working on some arithmancy work and Sophie just gazed out the window. There was a book in her lap but it lay there unopened and neglected. Hemione was about to open her mouth to say something when there was a cough behind her.

"Get your homework done!" barked Mrs Snape. Sophie immediately did as she was bid and opened the book, "This is not the house for dreams, it is the house for work. Miss Granger, with me!" she ordered. There was no way she was going to disobey that order so she followed her through to another sitting room. A sofa was indicated and she sat down on it opposite her employer.

"As you can see I run a tight household." Mrs Snape said. Hermione nodded, "I expect you to do the same while I am away. I am going away on a business trip for just under a week and I want you to make sure this house is run effectively in my absence. Your job will be to mind the children, ensure they do any work set for them and maintain discipline at all times," she said. Hermione nodded again.

It was not that she did not wish to speak, nor was it because she was afraid of Mrs Snape, far from it. It was that she feared what she might say if she did speak. It was clear that their thoughts on childhood and how children should be brought up was very different. Hermione believed that children thrived on laughter and encouragement rather than discipline and fear. She remained silent on the matter though, it was not her place to change the habits of a lifetime.

"Do you think you can do that?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"Good. My husband will be here as well so it could be he requires your assistance with potions, are you any good at potions?" Mrs Snape leaned back in the chair and regarded her with cool eyes.

"I can manage," Hermione replied. If she had bothered to consult her husband on the matter she would know exactly how good at it she was.

"Good. I leave first thing in the morning; I do not need to see you or the children before I go." Hermione nodded, taking this as her not wanting to see them.

"They will be safe in my hands," she said. Mrs Snape nodded before getting up once again. "I will see to them tonight, return to your rooms and prepare yourself. I have wilful children Miss Granger, they need a firm hand." With that, she strode from the room leaving Hermione where she was. Waiting for a moment to make sure the woman was gone; she then got up and headed back to her room as she had been asked. Once she was there, she shut the door on the world and sank down onto the bed, her head reeling.

She was disgusted by what she had found she realised. The poor children here knew very little of laughter and she was determined to change that. While Mrs Snape was away, she would seek to do as many fun things with them as she could. It would be the best few weeks they had experienced, at least while the holidays lasted. She dreaded to think what passed for cheer in the house when it was Christmas… As far as she was concerned, she had the six weeks of the summer to brighten up the children and teach them how to live before they went back to school. It was not long but she would do with it what she could!

There was also the fact that Mrs Snape seemed to spend a lot of time away without her husband, maybe if she could talk to him about what she had seen, things might be easier. Yes. Winning over Snape would be one of the keys to making sure she was successful on her mission. It might not be easy but it would be worth the undertaking. It was with this in mind that she managed to drift off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione awoke when the sun came up. She had long since given up on sleeping in during the mornings and the habit had not faded as she had grown older. Back at school she had used the time for extra studying and getting ahead of her lessons, when she lived at the flat she had spent the time either tidying or reading. Here she supposed that she should be getting the children ready for the day ahead. She was still not so sure what that was going to involve yet but she would be damned if she was going to let it be as dour as their mother would. Besides, she would be off on her trip and would be none the wiser…

She rose, dressed and headed down to the kitchen to see what happened for breakfast. She crept into the room, not wanting to disturb what was going on too much. There was a small elf directing the work, clothed in little more than rags, she barked and snapped orders around, ensuring that breakfast would be ready on time. When Hermione coughed, the creature jumped nearly a foot into the air and span around. She wielded a wooden spoon like a sword and glared at her, "What do you want? I am busy!" she snapped.

"I came to see what time breakfast will be served," she replied, "I didn't mean to intrude!" she added.

The elf nodded, "Eight o'clock, like always."

"Thank you," she said. The elf seemed a little surprised to hear her words and she smoothed her dress down.

"You're new here?"

"I'm Hermione, I'm here to look after the children," she said. The elf's eyes widened when she heard that and Hermione was forced to wonder why.

"I'm Sparky, I manage the kitchens and the household for mistress," she said. Hermione nodded and gave the little creature a smile.

"Thank you for your help, I'll not keep you." She turned to leave then, not wanting to keep the elf from doing her job. She had no idea how Mrs Snape treated her but if it was anything like the children then it wasn't good. She was musing to herself what she was going to do for the day when she almost bumped into the master of the house.

She looked up at the last moment and managed to stammer an apology before nodding her head. It gave her ample opportunity to look at the man she had once been a little afraid of back in school. Not much had changed. He still wore black, he still had the deepest, dark eyes that she had ever seen and his hair was as lank as it ever was. When she stole another glance, she realised that his skin seemed sallower and there was a harrowed look in his eyes that had never been there before.

"Subtly was never your strong point was it," he said.

She let out a sigh, knowing she had been caught, "I suppose not, you're looking well," she lied. He raised an eyebrow at that but made no further comment.

"Are you bringing the children?" he asked.

She gave a nod, "I'm going to get them up now Sir," she said. She added the 'Sir' without really thinking about it.

"No, I am no longer a Professor and you are no longer a student, you can call me Severus," he said. Doing so seemed a little strange to her but she was pleased at the use of his given name.

"Very well Severus," she said. It also made her feel a little more welcome in the large daunting house in which she now resided. Almost as though she had an ally where before there was only hostility. She was not about to push that however she did offer him a small smile.

"I will see you at breakfast," he said. She nodded and walked passed him, wondering whether she would be expected to be at every meal. If she could turn them into something regarding human eating times rather than robots then maybe she would come to enjoy it.

When she got back to the bedrooms, chaos had ensued. Davon was running about on the landing with a pair of pants on his head. Instead of stopping him, the other children were laughing in the corridor. Inna was jumping up and down, almost screaming in her amusement. Hermione coughed. All of the children stopped and looked around, their eyes widening as they realised what had happened. Unable to keep a straight face, Hermione cracked a smile and let out a little laugh of her own.

"We need to get ready for breakfast," she said. Glances were exchanged. Davon yanked the pants from his head and looked at his feet.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. Hermione frowned a little and tilted her head to the side.

"What for?" she asked. She knew she should be telling him off for horse play but it was such a nice thing to see, them all laughing that she didn't have the heart to do it.

"You're not going to shout at me?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Not this time, but perhaps it's best if we don't tell your mother?" she suggested. The smile crept back onto the boy's face and he nodded. "Now, get yourselves ready, we need to be down there in ten minutes. That goes for all of you," she added. The audience turned and headed back into their rooms. Hermione went to help Inna dress herself properly, though the little black haired girl was wilful and mostly able to do so on her own.

At exactly eight o clock, they were sat in their usual places waiting for the Sparky to organise their breakfast. They were not disappointed. Severus joined them and once more they all began eating without speaking to one another. It was a cold affair. She was determined to change that, there was more to life than dour faces and silent meals. Sometime soon, there would be laughter and love at this table, not sadness and gloom!


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast passed without much in the way of conversation. Hermione got the distinct impression that Severus did not know his children particularly well, there was little in the way of exchanged glances and nothing resembling affection at all. She brushed the thought from her mind however and saw to it that Inna was able to eat her toast without choking on it. The rest of the time, she ate herself, knowing she would need it to see the rest of the day through.

When Severus had finished, he set the paper he had been hiding behind down and looked at them all. He got to his feet and coughed. Sophie, Flora and Dominic instantly finished what they were doing and rose too. Hermione raised a questioning look up to him. "It is half past eight Ms Granger, they need to get to school," he said. She nodded, realising that it was a Monday. It looked as though instead of staying at weekends, the older children commuted to Hogwarts, whether that was on a daily basis, she didn't know. She would ask him about it later.

"Charrisa and Davon attend a school down the road, it will not take you five minutes to walk them there," he said. "With that, he apparated the other children away, leaving her along with the others. So, her job was not to be an educator as well as a ward, that was fine by her, it would leave Inna for most of the day and that was something she was sure she could deal with.

"Come on," she said, glad she had dressed them all already, "Shoes on, we need to get going," she added.

There was no argument from the children and they followed her order without question. Moments later, they were at the front door ready to walk to the school.

Severus was right, the building was only five minutes away. She dropped them off with no trouble at all. They both asked if they could walk home together on their own, insisting that this was something they were allowed to do. She gave an indulgent nod at them before turning and walking back to the house with Inna in tow. The little thing had done very well to walk on her own in both directions and she could only smile when she announced how proud she was of that too. "Maybe you can tell Daddy when you get home?" Hermione suggested.

Inna nodded enthusiastically at that, it appeared that the little thing doted on her father. Her wide smile and bright black eyes seemed to light up at the idea. "Not Mummy though," she said.

Hermione wondered about that but kept her observations to herself, "I'll not tell her," she said with a conspiratorial wink. She grinned at the gesture and they both walked casually back to the house. When they returned, Severus was waiting for them both. His arms were folded over his chest and he looked every bit as stern as he had in the classroom. It did not bother his little girl however and she ran up to her father.

"Daddy!" she called. Severus bent down to pick her up and he sat her on his hip. It seemed so at odds to the way he had been with the children during the meals.

"What is it Princess?" he asked. The smile on his lips transformed his face and he looked far younger than he had before, the harsh lines faded away from his eyes and forehead.

"I walked all the way to the school and all the way back again!" she said. The smile on her face was infectious and Hermione was drawn in by it. She knew she should retreat and leave them to have their moment but she could not bring himself to do so.

"All the way?" he asked. The little girl nodded, "You are getting big," he commented. She threw her arms around him and he pressed his lips to her forehead before setting her back on the ground again. "Go with Hermione," he said when she pouted, "Daddy had to go to work," he explained.

"Can we come with you?" she asked. Severus shook his head.

"It's too dangerous in the lab, you know that." Her pout deepened, "Maybe you can come and visit later on," he said, "So long as Miss Granger doesn't mind." She shook her head.

"We'd be delighted, maybe we can bring lunch?"

"We can have a picnic!" Inna cheered, her face suddenly much brighter than it had been before. Hermione smiled at her indulgently and she caught Severus' nod.

"I can agree to that, why don't we say half past twelve?" he suggested. Inna nodded.

"Don't be late, meet us on the lawn," Inna said.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He bent down then and ruffled her hair. He turned and left them there then, heading off to his lab to perform whatever work he had to do. Hermione turned to Inna and smiled.

"What shall we do this morning?" she asked. Inna pressed a thoughtful finger to the side of her face and tapped it, as though this was a most important question.

"I can show you the house!" she said.

"I would like that very much, I bet you know all the interesting places," she agreed. Inna took her hand then and gently tugged it.

"I do," she agreed. "We'll start upstairs, we can end in the kitchen and then get the picnic ready," she said. Hermione nodded again, more than a little taken in by the tiny black haired girl who had looked so sombre the night before. They spent the rest of the morning searching through the large house that the girl called home. By the time they were done, it was quarter to twelve, it would give them enough time to make the picnic so they wouldn't be late for their lunch meeting. Hermione had found herself smiling throughout the morning, thoroughly enjoying the company of the little girl. She also found she was looking forward to meeting with her father once more, if only to see how much he doted on her.


End file.
